Thirteen Colonies/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: They Mysteries of Life with Tim & Moby. An old fashioned sailing ship is sailing on the water. TIM: 9, 10, 11, 12... I'm missing one. Tim is at a desk looking at a sketch of the outline of the contiguous United States. On the east side of the map outline, smaller outlines that appear to be some of the states are drawn in. Tim is pointing and counting. MOBY: Beep. Moby is standing next to Tim. Moby points to a spot on the map. TIM: Georgia. Thank you. Tim is reading a letter. "Dear Tim and Moby, what were the 13 colonies? From, Bret." TIM: The 13 colonies were a group of English territories established in America during the 1600s and early 1700s. They were: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. A map shows the eastern portion of North America, with only the land and water indicated at first. Each colony appears on the map when Tim says its name, listed roughly in order from north to south. Most of the colonies appear to match the modern states of the same name, with some exceptions. The Massachusetts colony includes the modern state of Maine. The New Hampshire colony includes the modern state of Vermont. The Virginia colony includes the modern state of West Virginia. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Right. These eventually became the original 13 United States! The map fades out and is replaced by an old flag of the United States. The old flag has the same 13 red and white stripes as a modern flag and a blue background in the upper left corner. There are 13 stars on the blue background, arranged in a circle. TIM: But before that, they were just a few of the many European colonies popping up all over North America. MOBY: Beep. TIM: No, settlers weren't just coming from England. Starting in the late 1500s, people from all over Europe—places like Spain, France, Sweden and the Netherlands—headed to the New World for different reasons. A view of the ocean with green hills in the distance is shown. The rocking motion and presence of a rope rigging indicates the view is from the deck of a ship. The deck is empty at first and fills with people as Tim speaks. The people on the ship are dressed in a variety of traditional costumes. TIM: Some were escaping religious persecution, and others came in search of wealth. But they all wanted a chance at a better life. These settlers claimed land and established colonies, mainly along the East Coast. The scene changes back to the land map of North America, and a number of flags appear on the map. The map mostly shows the modern United States, colored a light green. A small portion of modern Canada is visible in the north, shaded a darker green. There are five British flags, stretching north and south along the coast. There is one Swedish flag, also on the coast. There is one Dutch flag directly west of the Swedish flag. There are three French flags, inland from the British flags but still in the eastern portion of the map. One of the French flags is in the Canadian region of the map. There is one Spanish flag off to the west. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, the east coast was closest to Europe, and they came by boat. The map zooms out, centered on the Atlantic Ocean until Europe and Africa are visible on the east side of the ocean. Europe is shaded a lighter green that matches the United States. A ship's icon moves along a dashed path from Europe to the east coast of North America. TIM: The first permanent English settlement in North America was the colony at Jamestown, established in 1607. Three ships are anchored near the shore along a piece of land that appears to stick out into the ocean. TIM: That's in present-day Virginia. The Pilgrims followed in 1620, establishing a settlement at Plymouth, in what is now Massachusetts. A man and a woman are standing next to each other on a patch of dirt with small houses in the background. Both are dressed in long garbs, wearing cloaks. The man is wearing a tall, brimmed hat. The woman is wearing a bonnet. TIM: Over the next 100 years, more English colonies sprang up all along the Atlantic coast, from New Hampshire in the north to Georgia in the south. The map of North America is shown again, this time including the entire continental United States. A strip of land running north and south along the east coast is shaded orange and has one British flag in the center. TIM: Meanwhile, France gained control of much of present-day Canada and the American Midwest. A much larger section of the map changes to a blue shade, marked with a French flag. The blue region borders the orange region to the west and extends north into Canada, west most of the way across the continent, and south down to the Gulf of Mexico. The region is roughly triangular, with the narrowest portion in the south along the Gulf Coast, and the eastern and western borders spreading out to the North. TIM: The two empires squared off for control of North America in the French and Indian War from 1754 to 1763. A battle scene shows French and English soldiers shooting at each other with muskets. There are Native Americans fighting with both sides. TIM: England won the war. It got control of Canada and strengthened its hold on the 13 colonies. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Most colonists identified themselves as British citizens. They bought goods from British factories and kept up on news from England. A wooden sailing ship is tied to a dock. The dock is covered with boxes labeled with British flags. A boy holds up a paper titled London Weekly. TIM: Wealthy colonists copied British styles in clothes, dancing, and social etiquette. A fancy ballroom scene shows men and women dancing. They are all wearing white wigs and dressed in colorful outfits. TIM: And the colonies all had local governments modeled after English political institutions. A group of angry-looking men are sitting and standing in a large room arguing with each other. TIM: Still, they had their own unique identities. Many colonists living in the New England Colonies, which included Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, came to America to practice their own religion. A land map of North America is shown again, this time centered on the northeast portion of the United States. The colonies are highlighted on the map as Tim says each name. They resemble the modern states of the same name, except that the Massachusetts colony includes modern-day Maine and the New Hampshire colony included modern-day Vermont. TIM: Most became small farmers who grew enough crops to feed their families and trade for goods that they couldn't make themselves. A family dressed in colonial outfits is shown standing in front of a farmhouse. TIM: Some took advantage of the rich fishing waters off the Atlantic coast and became fishermen. A silhouette of a small rowboat with three men holding lines of rope in the water is shown. The boat appears to be far out in the water, with green hills in the background. TIM: And others became wealthy merchants, buying and selling products to support the growing farming and fishing populations. Before long, New England became a major center of trade and commerce, with goods passing through port cities like Boston on their way to England, the Caribbean, and elsewhere. A wooden ship is tied to a dock, which is covered with boxes. Behind it, another wooden ship is out in the water, sailing past. TIM: Just south of New England were the middle colonies of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. A land map of North America is shown again, this time centered on the eastern portion of the United States. The colonies are highlighted on the map as Tim says each name. They resemble the modern states of the same name, except that the New York colony includes modern-day Vermont. TIM: These colonies were known for their ethnic diversity. Dutch, Irish, and German immigrants made up a big part of their populations. A tulip, a shamrock and a round purple flower appear. TIM: Like their neighbors in New England, the residents of the middle colonies did very well in farming and trade. They produced and exported so much wheat that they became known as the "bread basket of the colonies!" Wheat plants grow and fill the screen. TIM: And port cities like New York and Philadelphia grew into bustling centers of commerce, filled with merchants, artisans, and laborers. Four wooden sailing ships are moving past each other in a city harbor, with tightly packed buildings in the background. TIM: Factories in these cities churned out textiles, paper, and iron, making the middle colonies the most industrial of the original 13. A man is operating a printing press. TIM: The southern colonies included Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. A land map of North America is shown again, this time centered on the southeastern portion of the United States. The colonies are highlighted on the map as Tim says each name in order from north to south. They resemble the modern states of the same name, except that the Virginia colony includes modern-day West Virginia. TIM: Life in these colonies revolved around huge farms called plantations, which were owned by a few wealthy landowners. A large field of crops is shown, with a farmhouse visible in the distance. The plants are swaying in the breeze. TIM: Agriculture ruled the economy—cash crops like rice, tobacco, and cotton were grown and sold to buyers in the colonies, the Caribbean, and Europe. A large part of the plantation workforce was made up of African slaves, who began arriving in 1619. Slaves are shown picking cotton in a field. TIM: By 1750, slaves accounted for 40 percent of the Southern Colonies' population. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, despite all these differences, the American colonists eventually agreed that they should govern themselves. They were paying a lot of money in taxes to England and getting very little in return. The tax issue made people start talking about revolution. Two men in formal attire, including black suits and white wigs, are whispering to each other. TIM: In 1775, the colonies united to battle the British in the Revolutionary War. Two groups of soldiers dressed in colonial era uniforms are arranged across from each other and pointing guns at each other. One side is wearing red uniforms and is arranged in precise rows. The other side is a mixture of blue uniforms and brown or gray outfits. The second side is not in a regular formation. TIM: After that, the colonies became known as the United States of America! MOBY: Beep. TIM: What do you mean, "You're done"? MOBY: Beep. Moby points down at the map. TIM: What did you do to my map of the 13 colonies? All 48 of the contiguous states in the modern United States have been drawn in. TIM: I can't turn that in! MOBY: Beep. Moby points to another spot on the map. TIM: Alaska and Hawaii? Get out of here! Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts